Leading Strategic Discussions in Tumor Boards

• As chair, you must guide multidisciplinary experts efficiently through complex patient cases using precise functional phrases.
• Function
• Phrase
• Usage
• Framing
• Let me frame the question around...
• To define the core clinical dilemma clearly.
• Steering
• Let us refocus on the core pathology...
• To bring the board back to the central issue.
• Parking
• Can we park that discussion for now?
• To defer a secondary point without dismissing it.
• Converging
• Where are we converging on this?
• To prompt a unified treatment recommendation.
• Remember
• Use framing phrases at the start of a case presentation to establish the clinical boundaries.
• Use steering phrases gently when specialists digress into unrelated research or tangents.
• Use parking phrases to log important secondary queries for post-meeting review.
• Use converging phrases toward the end of the session to establish consensus.
• Examples
• Let me frame the question around the resectability of this pancreatic lesion.
• Can we park that molecular profile question until we review the staging?
• Where are we converging regarding the adjuvant therapy protocol?
• Common mistakes
• Let me frame the question about the staging.
• Let me frame the question around the staging.
• Can we park for that later?
• Can we park that for later?

Complete the sentences

• At the start of the Chicago session, the chair said: '___' (Let me frame) ____ around the patient's operability.'
• When the Boston oncologist drifted into side debates, the lead shouted: '___' (Let us refocus) ____ the discussion back to the staging?'
• To handle a minor genetic query in New York, the chair noted: '___' (park that) ____ until we finish the pathology review?'
• Nearing the end of the London meeting, the chief asked: '___' (Where are) ____ on the final recommendation?'
• In Seattle, to set the parameters, Dr. Smith stated: '___' (Let me frame) ____ the clinical dilemma clearly.'
• Interrupting the tangent in Baltimore, the chair stated: '___' (Can we park) ____ that secondary observation?'

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